Three QBs, one starting spot: The case for Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson to be Denver's starter
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Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior Writer
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — There are four words folks should get used to hearing from Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton when he’s asked about the team’s three-man quarterback competition.
“We’ll keep you posted.”
It doesn’t matter whether the question touches on practice, the plan for preseason games, general progress or the timetable to decide on the starter. Those four words will be Payton’s go-to response — at least until he names the starting QB. Rookie Bo Nix, veteran holdover Jarrett Stidham and the recently acquired Zach Wilson opened training camp this week getting equal opportunity with the starting offense.
How long that even split will last — or when the competition will go from three QBs to two (and from two to one) — is completely up to Payton. But the clock is already ticking, as Payton has consistently said he only wants to “make the right decision” before the Broncos’ season opener in Seattle on Sept. 8. As camp got underway this week, Payton said the three quarterbacks understand how they will be evaluated and how their practice time, including reps with the starting offense, will be divvied up.
“We’re on the same page, they don’t find out when they walk out here,” Payton said. “[They find out] in meetings, we set the week in advance, we talk to them, there’s great dialogue. It’s important … there’s a flow and an organization to how guys are going to get reps in camp early on and that begins to change as we get closer to the preseason. They’re very much on the same page.”
But Payton hinted Tuesday he will speed up the decision if any of the quarterbacks forge ahead. With that in mind, here is a look at what Nix, Stidham and Wilson bring to the football table and how they can win the job.
Bo Nix
Why he’s in it: Payton made it clear in his post-draft analysis that Nix was a priority when the Broncos selected him with the 12th pick of the 2024 draft. As general manager George Paton said after the draft, Nix “fits a lot of things Sean likes in a quarterback.”
Payton has consistently lauded Nix’s college experience (61 starts combined at Auburn and Oregon), accuracy, maturity and penchant — in college, anyway — to avoid sacks. Sacks allowed were one of Payton’s biggest complaints about the Broncos’ offense last season when explaining why he benched Russell Wilson. Nix threw 45 touchdown passes and three interceptions last season at Oregon, and he took only five sacks.
How Nix can win it: Payton has called the rookie “a quick study” when it comes to the playbook, and many league personnel executives believe Nix will be behind center when the Broncos play the Seahawks in Week 1. Making Nix the immediate QB1 starts the clock sooner for the development of the offense.
Nix must look and act prepared. He has to master the little things — getting the team in and out of the huddle smoothly, playing with an edge and walking the line between avoiding the mistakes that count against you while showing the willingness to push the ball into tight spaces to make the plays that matter.
And while Payton has never had a rookie starter at quarterback in a head coaching career that dates to 2006, many in the league feel the coach has been positioning since draft day to make Nix his first.
Jarrett Stidham
Why he’s in it: He was Payton’s choice, to the tune of a two-year, $10 million deal in free agency prior to the 2023 season, to be Russell Wilson’s backup. Stidham started the final two games last season after Wilson’s benching. The Broncos went 1-1 in those rather ho-hum games — scoring 16 and 14 points, respectively — as Stidham threw two touchdown passes with one interception.
Stidham has been coached hard in his career, spending his first three seasons (2019-21) with the Patriots under Bill Belichick and playing under Payton last year, so he knows how this works. He also has a year head-start in Payton’s offense.
How Stidham can win it: It will be intriguing to see how deep into the preseason Payton goes before making a decision, as well as how much opportunity he gives Stidham and Wilson to score what many on the outside believe would have to be a knockout to keep Nix from the job. But Stidham, who was the first to play with the starters in Wednesday’s opening practice, has the most experience of the QBs in terms of seasons played. He can win the job with composure and reliability but must put up touchdowns in the preseason when playing with the starters.
In 2016, Trevor Siemian used that formula to win a three-way competition against a rookie first-round pick (Paxton Lynch) and a former veteran starter the Broncos had acquired in the offseason (Mark Sanchez). Siemian is also the last primary Broncos starter to end a season with a winning record, going 8-6 in 2016.
Zach Wilson
Why he’s in it: The Broncos believed enough in Wilson’s potential to spend weeks before the draft putting together the trade to acquire him from the New York Jets. He has the most NFL starts of the three players (33 in three seasons), although they were mostly frustrating and difficult. His 33.6 QBR ranks 35th of 36 qualifying quarterbacks since 2021.
Young quarterbacks like Wilson who struggle after being thrown into the starting lineup often face a confidence rebuild and need to improve their mechanics. But Wilson has shown the most arm strength of the three in workouts, which might be his biggest advantage if he can use it wisely.
How Wilson can win it: The No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft can prevail by improving his decision-making and his comfort level with some of the touch throws in the offense. Wilson flashed the downfield edge more than the other two in the offseason work but also threw some ill-advised balls into traffic that raised an eyebrow or two.
Defensive players will often chant “check-down” back at the quarterback when they think he has settled for a “too safe” option. Wilson’s advantage in offseason workouts was his willingness to make more risk-reward throws down the field than Nix and Stidham.
The work that needs to be done on his mechanics and footwork makes him a bit of a longshot, but Wilson’s big-play potential could allow him to win the job.
